Power Ranking the Naismith Player of the Year Candidates in College Basketball

The upheaval in college hoops’ Top 25 this week has produced plenty of ripples on the leaderboard for the Naismith Award. Some Player of the Year favorites have kept their teams and themselves on the winning track, while others have seen their spots on the list usurped by rising stars.

Since the last edition of these rankings, no player has made a bigger splash in joining the leaders than Kansas’ Ben McLemore. The redshirt freshman almost single-handedly saved the Jayhawks from an upset loss to Iowa State. In the process, he showed that he’s one of the most gifted scorers anywhere in college basketball.

Herein, a closer look at McLemore and the rest of the 20 most promising candidates for this year’s Naismith honors.

20. Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

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Previous Ranking: 17

As impressive as Nate Wolters’ individual numbers are, it’s awfully tough for a player from the tiny Summit Conference to stay relevant. Now that his South Dakota State squad is two games out of first, Wolters’ national profile is hanging by a thread.

17. Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

Douglas C. Pizac

Previous Ranking: 16

While UCLA has been tearing up the Pac-12 early on, star freshman Shabazz Muhammad hasn’t been as impressive. Weak outings against Colorado and Utah took some of the shine off his 23-point, 10-rebound game vs. Stanford.

15. Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga

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Previous Ranking: Unranked

After two years on the bench and a redshirt season, seven-footer Kelly Olynyk entered 2012-13 with zero expectations. With half a season gone, he’s eclipsed perennial NBA prospect Elias Harris as the best player on the 16-1 Zags.

Key Stats: 18.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game

Winning Edge: Surprise leader for a team firmly planted in the top 10.

Biggest Flaw: Non-factor on defense, unlike most big men on this list.

11. Doug McDermott, Creighton

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Previous Ranking: 12

To no one’s surprise, Doug McDermott continues to be as overwhelming a pure scorer as there is in the country. His 39-point explosion against Missouri State was a season high—and his fourth 30-point night for the year.

9. Erick Green, Virginia Tech

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Previous Ranking: 11

The biggest beneficiary of C.J. McCollum’s devastating foot injury, Erick Green moves into the top spot among all scorers in the nation. He’s also a fine point guard, though his Hokies are getting roughed up early in ACC play.

8. Russ Smith, Louisville

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Previous Ranking: 6

As well as Louisville has played in a 3-0 Big East start, Russ Smith hasn’t been quite as impressive. The Cardinals’ star SG has just two steals in the three games, and even his team-leading scoring has dropped off a bit.

4. Cody Zeller, Indiana

Now, though, he has the strength of the Big Ten schedule on his side, as a fairly typical stat line—18 points, six boards, three blocks—looks a lot better when it comes against eighth-ranked Minnesota.

Key Stats: 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game

Winning Edge: Versatile leader of nation’s most dangerous offense

Biggest Flaw: Balanced Hoosier attack also keeps his scoring numbers out of the stratosphere.

3. Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse

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Previous Ranking: 2

Michael Carter-Williams is starting to become the victim of his own success. Though he’s played awfully well in Syracuse’s 4-0 Big East start, he’s reached his lofty assist average just once in those four games while still struggling to score consistently.

Key Stats: 4.9 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game

Winning Edge: Nation’s leading passer also hanging on at fourth on steal charts.

2. Trey Burke, Michigan

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Previous Ranking: 3

An impressive Big Ten start had Trey Burke all ready to claim the top spot had his Wolverines stayed unbeaten. Even in a hard-fought loss at Ohio State, Burke scored a team-high 15 points and dished out four assists despite awful shooting from his supporting cast.

Key Stats: 18 points and 7.1 assists per game

Winning Edge: Electric floor leader for leading Final Four contender.

Biggest Flaw: Improving defense still not up to par in this competition.

1. Mason Plumlee, Duke

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Previous Ranking: 1

Don’t blame Mason Plumlee for Duke’s tough loss to N.C. State. He had 15 points and 11 boards (not to mention four steals), though it wasn’t enough to overcome the absence of running mate Ryan Kelly in an already-undersized lineup.